FAM3000F - Media in South Africa

Art Journalism Seminar - Rafiek Mammon

BDRNAS002: Nasreen Badrodien
10 March 2016
Feature Article on Press Conference

Passion, please pay my bills?

By Nasreen Badrodien
A handful of students and specialists converged at a Media Press Conference
held at the University of Cape Town. The panel of experts from various fields in
media included Tracey Saunders, a freelance arts journalist primarily for the
Cape Times, Africa Melane, a radio presenter on Cape Talk, Peter Tromp, the
editor of the weekly paper The Next 48 Hours and Shihaam Domingo, a selfemployed publicist for theatre productions such as District 6 Kanala. Each panel
member explained what exactly it is that they do and why they do it, while
addressees were able to ask them questions.
Before I walked in, I had been an avid dreamer and aspiring traveller, with thirtysix countries on my to do list. I always knew where I was going to end up, but
never how I was going to get there. A photo journalist for National Geographic, I
thought. I would travel the world and get paid to do it, and until David Hill emails
me, begging me to come work for him (see, avid dreamer) I decided Ill be a
journalist. An hour into the conference I was forced to refocus my attention to
what I was going to do in the next seven months after Tracey Saunders message
hit home. I realised that all I was leaving with was a piece of paper, very little
direction and no work experience on my CV.
It all came unravelling when a student asked if there is any scope in arts
journalism and if it is worthwhile pursuing as a career after Tracey mentioned
having a second job to pay the bills. But her message was sobering as she
started with Passion is the starting point. Although I was thinking PASSION
WONT PAY FOR MY AIR TICKETS, I was open to everything she had to say next.
Tracey hadnt always been a freelance journalist but she said it made her a lot
happier than any job she has had. She encouraged us to recognize that it wont
always pay the bills you have to find your own stories, pitch them and then
hope and wait that someone reads your email instead of spamming it and asks
you to go ahead and write it but if it is your passion then nothing should stop
you. Time management and self discipline is a necessity, no longer a skill you
would like to have, and saying no becomes okay, even necessary. While I would
like to have a profession where I wont need a second or third job to support
myself, she made her job sound very rewarding.
Instead of professionals steering the youth away from such paths, they should
encourage it and openly admit to the hardships and trials as Tracey did. Instead
of Dont go near it, stay away! she encouraged us to go into it with our eyes
open. If you can accept and use both constructive and negative criticism to your
advantage and consume what you write, nothing should stop you from pursuing
journalism in arts and culture as it is important in the social fabric of our
society.

When I left, I was given much to think about. Rather than being dissuaded from
pursuing any sort of journalistic career from fear of all the difficulties, Tracey
encouraged me to go and rediscover my passion and then follow through in
pursuing it.
Passion may be able to pay my bills after all.